Package for books



Dec. 6, 1966 A. c. Bol-TEL 3,289,824

PACKAGE FOR BOOKS Filed Aug. 24, 1964 United States Patent O 3,289,824 PACKAGE EUR BOKS Arwed C. Boitel, Evanston, Ill., assigner to Alton Box Board Company, Alton, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 391,408 14 Claims. (El. 206-46) The present application is a continuation-impart of my copending application, Serial No. 365,859, filed May 4, 1964, which was a continuation-inpart of my application, Serial No. 166,225, filed January 15, 1962 (now forfeited), which latter was a -continuation-in-part of my application, Serial No. 59,041, filed September 28, 1960, now reissued as Patent Re. 25,856, issued June 18, 1963.

This disclosure is addressed to paperboard containers, such as might be used for packaging book-s, phonograph records or other items of a similar character requiring cushioning protection at the corners Ior ends of the package.

In said patent, there is described a paperboard blank, which is wrapped about an article as a sleeve, and Whose end walls are :set back within the ends of the sleeve. An elongate generally rectangular sheet is scored to define four main panels for the sides, top and bottom of the package plus an end flap which is adapted to overlap with the opposite end of the blank to form the sleeve. The blank further has longitudinal marginal portions, which are folded in and glued to the main panels, thereby to provide double thicknesses at the ends of the sleeve. An extension from an infolded margin forms a recessed end `wall and an end wall retaining flap. The end walls necessarily are set back within the sleeve leaving `outwardly opening pocket-like formations at the ends of the package.

The packaging of hard-bound books is complicated by the fact that bookbinders seemingly lind it necessary to leave a liirnsy lip at each end of the books spine; and suc-h lip customarily extends outwardly (i.e., lengthwise of the spine) for a distance greater than the hard covers of the book. The lower one of these lips is nearly always crushed 4when the book is shelved, but publishers are often zealous to protect it against disfiguration until it is in the hands of the ultimate purchaser. The stiff covers do not protect the lips 'because a planar surface moving relatively toward the whole end of a book initially encounters the lip, and not until the lip has yielded does lsuch a planar surface meet the resistance of the hard covers.

The problem of protecting the spine lips of hardibound books from such disfiguration in transit was solved by the structure disclosed in my aforesaid patent by foreshortening the aforesaid recessed end wall, so that there was a space (between its end and the side panel thereadjacent) through which the lip might hang when the hard covers were in engagement with the inner surface of the recessed end walls. However, in some cases, such foreshortening of the recessed end wall is undesirable. In particular, it is desirable to have the extremities of the recessed end Wall come into engagement with their adjacent side Walls during the process of applying the container about a book. Such engagement is an aid to truing the corners of the container as it is folded about a book, and in maintaining the corners true until the final gluing operation is completed.

Accordingly, it is one object :of the present invention to package a book so that the spine lips are .protected against disguration in the package without foreshortening the package walls which engage the end edges of the book covers.

One-piece book packages are notoriously hard to open. Those shown in my aforesaid applications have a glued closure flap which, when opened, penmits the book to be removed. In order to reduce the tedium of opening the package, the structures disclosed in said applications provided an unglued margin on the glue iiap, which margin could be lifted (without 'breaking the glue line) enough to be grasped and peeled back to cleave the glue line. But an unglued exterior liap margin which can be deliberately lifted and peeled yback is an open invitation to the occurrence of the same thing by accident.

In the commercial practice of the invention disclosed in said applications, the conventional tear tapes have been applied to the glue flap inwardly of a glue line lwhich extended to the margin of that flap. While this reduced the likelihood of accidental opening, it did not eliminate it because it was lstill necessary to have, on the exterior of the package, an unglued marginal portion at which to start the tear tape.

Consequently, it is another object of the invention to make the package easy-opening without the hazard of unglued exterior marginal :portions on the package.

Generally stated, these and other objects of the invention are accomplished by cantilevering at least one of the extremities of the recessed end walls so that it will yield under a force which would otherwise crush or disfigure the spine lip of the packaged book; and by disposing the starting place of the tear tape .remote from any margin and providing, in the layer of package which underlies the tear tape, a hole in alignment with the tear tapes starting place.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan View of a sheet of corrugated paperboard which has been cut and scored in accordance with this invention to produce a blank suitable for packaging a book;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the finished package;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a typical book of the character to be packaged in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is la perspective view illustrating an intermediate step in the process of packaging a book in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 16 is a perspective view illustrating a further step in the packaging operation;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view illustrating one mode of opening the completed package sh-own in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 8 is a partial sectional view taken along line S-8 yof FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown an elongate sheet of corrugated paperboard with the cormgations thereof extending in the longitudinal direction of the sheet or rblank. The sheet is scored transversely along lines 1 to define a pair `of `relatively wide main panels 3 and y5 and a pair of relatively narrow main panels 7 and 9. For punposes of description, the panel 3 Will be referred to as 'the bottom panel, the panel 5 Iwill be referred to as the top panel and the panels 7 and 9 shall be referred to as side panels. The side panel 9` at one end of the Iblank further has a glue liap 11, the outer mangin 12 of which is adapted to be glued to the opposite margin of the blank to form a sleeve, `and the glue liap 11 has a tear tape 13 extending longitudinally thereof to facilitate severance 'of the glued margin 12 when `the package is to be opened.

The bottom panel 3 has narrow marginal sub-panels extending from its ends, and these subapanels are defined by parallel fold lines extending longitudinally of the (blank. First longitudinal fold lines 15 and next fold lines 17 define therebetween marginal por-tions 19, adapted to be folded back into contiguity with the adjacent portions of -panel 3. Outward thereof fold lines `21 define (with fold lines 17) subdpanels 23, which `are adapted to extend at right angles to the main panel 3, and form inner recessed end walls. The portions lying outwardly of fold lines 21 yare sub-panels 25 and are adapted to be folded outwardly and ultimately to be contiguous with the top panel 5 as retainer flaps.

In order t-o facilitate the processing of the wrapping of the blank shown in FIGURE l `about a book, particularly where automatic machinery is employed, as well as to produce an ultimate package in which Ithe several panels snugly engage the packaged book, the fold lines are regular, the corners square, and the package is neat 1n appearance, it is preferred that certain precautions be taken .1n producing some of the fold lines above referred to. With this in mind, it is preferable that fold lines 1S include a central slit (entirely through the sheet of paperboard) .extending for about two-thirds the length of the fold line, and the balance (at opposite ends of the central slit) be scored; that fold lines 17 and 21 include a central slit extending only through the interior liner of the corrugated paperboard, and that the terminal portions of said fold lines be delineated by la succession of short perforations which extend entirely through the sheet of paperboard. Except as otherwise indicated herein, the several fold lines are preferably formed by scoring, i.e., without slitting or perf-orating.

The dimensions of the several panels of the blank or Wrapper shown in FIGURE 1 are preferably coordinated with the dimension of the book to be packaged. A typical such book is show-n in FIGURE 4, and has relatively stiif front and back covers 2 intervened by a spine 4, which terminates at the upper and lower ends in a lip 6, which is usually of much less stiffness than the covers 2, and hence may be readily mutilated or deformed in transit and handling. Ordinarily, the lips 6 extend outwardly (i.e., lengthwise of spine 4) for a short distance on the order of a thirty-second to an eighth -of an inch beyond the opposite ends 8 and 10 of the covers. In the following description, the length of the covers 2 will be understood t-o be the dimension .between the upper cover edge 8 and the lower cover edge 10; and the width of the cover will be understood to be the dimension between the line of 4demarcation 42 (between the spine and the stiff cover) and the free edge of the cover 14; and the thickness of the book is understood to be the distance between the exterior surfaces of covers 2. Accordingly, in the eimbodiment illustrated, the `main panels 3 and 5 of the wrapper have la length (parallel to fold lines 1) considerably in excess of the length of the covers of the book to be packed, and said panels have a breadth (parallel to fold lines 15) -greater than the width of the covers by an amount iat least equal to the distance between the apogee of spine 4 and demarcation line 42; the side panels 7 and 9 have .a length (parallel to fold lines 1) considerably lgreater than the lengt-h of the ybook covers, and have a width corresponding substantially to the thickness of the ibook; the end panels 23 have a length (parallel to fold line 15) corresponding substantially to the breadth of the main panels, and a width corresponding substantially to the thickness of the book; and the portions 19 and 25 have a width (parallel to fold lines 1) substantially equal to half the difference between the length of panel 3 and the length of the book covers.

The top panel 5 has fold lines 31 and 33 defining therebetween outer end wall panels 35 and glue flaps 37 lying outwardly of the fold line 33. The panels 35 are folded at right angles -to the panel 5 and extend across the ends .of the package. The width (parallel to fold lines 1) of -a panel 35 is approximately equal to the width of an inner end-wall panel 23 plus twice Ithe thickness of the board from which the blank is made. The flaps 37 are folded over and glued to the exterior surface of the bottom Iwall 3.

In order to minimize the likelihood of mutilation and distortion of the book lips 6 during packing, transit and other handling of the packaged book, the wrapper blank of this invention is characterized by the feature that each of the interior end sub-panels 23 be provided, at at least one end, with a terminal tab 16 located at that end of the sub-panels 23 adjacent which the lips 6 will lie in the completed pack-age. The tabs 16 are formed by cutting out adjacent portions of panels 19 and 25, as shown at 18 and 20, so that the tab 16 is free of connection on three sides from the adjacent substance of the blank, a-nd hence is cantilevered from the Ibody of sub-panel 23. Preferably, a score line 22 is provided at the root of ta-b 16, in order to hin'gedly connect it with the body of subpanel 23 with such flexibility that tab 16 will yield in response to any force exerted up-on it through book lips 6. As shown in the drawing, tab 16 is a `modicurn 'wider (parallel to fold lines 1) than the main .body of slib-panel 23 by an amount on the order of a thirty-second of an inch at each of cut-outs 18 and 20. This additional width on tab 16 enables it to act as a truing means to square the corner yat which side panel 9 folds down across the end of tab 16, as well as to assure that panel 19 is folded flat againt panel 3, and that panel 25 is flat against panel 5 when the package is closed.

Except as otherwise indicated herein, the process 0f applying the blank `as a wrapper to `a book is as described -in my aforesaid parent application Serial No. 365,859.

The embodiment illustrated [herein is further characterized by a feature which facilitates opening of the cornpleted package. This involves the provision of tear tape 13 with operating tabs located other than 'at the margin of the part of the package to be severed, :as is conventional. In -the embodiment shown, the tear tape 13 is severed centrally at 24 by a cut extending through flap 11 at that place. T he same cut defines a mutual line of separation between tear tabs 26 and 28, which are otherwise delineated by :angular cut lines 36 and 32, so that the tear tabs 26 and 28 are cut on three sides from the body substance of flap 11. This provides, in effect, two tear tapes, each of which, when drawn from line 24 longitudinally (of the tapes) toward the opposite extremities of flap 11, severs the adhered portion 12 from the portion thereof between the tear tapes and side panel 9. Preferably, the tear tabs 26 land 28 are, during packing as well as during transit, maintained in coplanar relationship with the exterior surface of flap 11, but in order to facilitate access to a margin of a tab so that it may be grasped `and pulled to make the desired severance, the invention contemplates that the portion of panel 3 which underlies flap 11 be provided with a hole 34 in alignment with the junction 24 between the two tear tabs 26 iand 28. The hole 34 is of size sufficient to permit either tab to be forced inwardly by finger pressure on it for a distance at least equal to the thickness of the paperboard from wh-ich the package is made. Such movement is accommodated by the hole 34 even when panel 3 rests flat against the packaged book. When one of tabs 26 or 28 is thus pressed into hole 34, the margin of the other tab is exposed, and readily accessible to be pulled out of its normal coplanar relationship with flap 11, grasped (as shown in FIGURE 7) and pulled to accomplish the `severance which opens the package. With the arrangement described, it is immaterial which of tabs 26 and 28 is pushed into hole 34 because the pushing of either exposes the marginal edge of the other so that it may be lifted with the fingernail to grasp it; and once one tab has been lifted out of its normal coplanar relationship with the ap 11, the other tab is readily accessible.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art should readily understand that the blank of the present invention and the resulting package are not only highly protective to the lips on the spine of packaged book, but, at the same time, readily openable without being substantially susceptible to accidental open-ing. The protection to the lips on the spine of a packaged book is afforded by the construction which softens impacts which might otherwise be transmitted to the lips on the spine and result in damage to the same. This is accomplished by the cantilevering of tab 16, which serves the dual function of yieldably engaging the spine lips :and serving as Ia truing device for the entire package, all of which is made possible by the fact that, to accommodate the spine lips, the tabs i6 yield in their weakest dimension, while the engagement between those tabs and the adjacent exterior walls of the package is such that the forces exerted are sustained by the stitest dimension of the tabs.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been described in detail and shown in .the drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of that embodiment. On the contrary, it is contemplated that those sk-illed in the art may, in order to meet the exigencies of given packaging situations, make such modifications and variations in the embodiment disclosed as are necessitated, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured 4by Letters Patent is:

1. A package comprising, an article such :as a book or the like enveloped in a wrapper comprising a corrugated paperboard sheet scored to dene ra top panel, a bottom panel, side panels and end panels, said bottom panel having opposite end liaps extending for the full width thereof and foldably connected thereto at parallel fold lines spaced yapart la distance substantially greater than the maximum dimension of said article, each of said end flaps being divided by fold lines into first, second and third sub-panels, .said rlast-mentioned fold lines being parallel with each other and parallel with said rstmentioned fold lines, .in which:

(l) the lirst sub-panels being immediately adjacent the first-mentioned fold lines, of a dimension perpendicular to said fold line which is substantially PL-AL where PL is the distance between said first-mentioned fold lines and AL is said maximum dimension of said article, and folded iiat against said bottom ypanel to provide ra double thickness,

(2) the second sub-panel being foldably connected to the rst sub-panel, of a dimension perpendicular to said fold Ilines which is substantially the same as the inside minor dimension of said side panels, and folded to extend Iin a direction perpendicular to the rst sub-panel, and

(3) the third sub-panel being foldably connected to the second sub-panel fand of substantially the same dimensions as the first sub-panel land folded dat against the top panel to provide =a double thickness in the area of the top panel which corresponds in location to the double thickness area in the bottom panel,

said top panel having opposite end flaps, divided by fold lines into =an end panel and `a glue flap, said glue flap Ibeing adhered to the exterior of the bottom panel on the opposite surface thereof from said iirst sub-panel, and said second sub-panel having at one end thereof a tab severed from said ii-rst and third panels, said tab being cantilevered from said second sub-panel and readily yieldable with rela-tion thereto about an axis therein perpendicular to the parallel fold lines delineating it, `and the combined length of said second sub-panel and said tab being not in excess of the width of said bottom panel.

2. A package comprising, an article such as a book or the like enveloped in a wrapper comprising a corrugated paperboard sheet scored to define a top panel, a bottom panel, side panels and edge panels, said bottom panel having portions extending in opposite directions therefrom for the full width thereof and foldably connected thereto at parallel fold lines spaced apart a distance substantially greater than a major dimension of said article, each of said portions being divided by fold lines into tirst, second and third sub-panels, said last-mentioned fold lines being parallel with each other and parallel with said first-mentioned fold lines in which:

(l) the first sub-panels being immediately adjacent the first-mentioned fold lines, of :a dimension perpendicular to said fold line which is substantially PL-AL where PL is the distance between said first-mentioned fold lines and AL is said major dimension of said article, and folded flat against said bottom panel to provide a double thickness, the second sub-panel being foldably connected to the first sub-panel, of a dimension perpendicular to said fold lines which is substantially the same as the inside minor dimension of said side panels, and folded to extend in a direction perpendicular to the rst sub-panel, and the third sub-panel being foldably connected to the second sub-panel and of substantially the same dimensions as the first sub-panel and folded flat against the top panel to provide a double thickness in the area of the top panel which corresponds in location to the double thickness area in the bottom panel, said portions being so folded that said second sub-panel substantially closes the space between said top and bottom panels at a position which is inset from the margins of the package in the direction parallel with said major dimension of said article; said edge panels each being foldably connected to one of said top panel and bottom panel and being glued on the exterior of another panel, at least one of said edge panels having a severance means extending parallel with its foldable connection and spaced from its margin, the portion of said edge panel between said severance means and its margin being glued to the other of said top and bottom panel, the glued one of said top and bottom panels having a hole therein underlying said severance means, said severance means including a tear tab aligned with said hole and normally in coplanar relationship with said one of said edge panels, and said tear tab having a free end of size such as to be accommodated in said hole.

3. For the packaging of a book (having a stil-f front and back cover intervened by a spine terminating in flexible lips which are substantially less stiff than said covers) in a paperboard yblank cut and scored to delineate a top panel, a bottom panel, side panels and end panels, said top and bottom panels having length and breadth greater than the corresponding dimension of the book covers, said side panels having length greater than the length of the book covers and width corresponding substantially to the thickness (outside front cover to outside: back cover) of the book, said end panels having width sutiicient to close the end space `between top and bottom panels when the latter are folded about the book, the improvement which comprises said end panels terminating in a exibly hinged tab disposed to engage and yield under outwardly directed forces exerted thereon by a lip of a book packaged in said sheet, said tab having a width suticient to make edgewise engagement with the top and bottom panels when the latter are folded about the b-ook, and the dimension (parallel to the Width dimension of said bottom panel) of said end panels including said tab being lnot in excess of the width of said bottom panel.

4. A package comprising a book (having a stiff front and back cover intervened by a spine terminating in flexible lips which are substantially less stilf than said covers) wrapped in a paperboard blank, said blank being cut and scored to delineate (i) main panels interiorly contiguous with the respective book covers,

(ii) side panels interiorly contiguous respectively with the spine and free cover edges of the book,

(iii) end panels interiorly contiguous with the cover end-edges of the book,

said end panels each having at its end adjacent the spine of the book:

(iv) a tab cantilevered from, and flexibly hinged to the part of its end panel which is contiguous with the book cover end-edges, said tab being aligned with the spine of the book, andthe combined length of said tab an-d the end panel to which it is hinged being not in excess of the width of said bottom panel.

5. A package comprising a book (having a stii front and back cover intervened by a spine terminating in exible lips which are substantially less stiff than said covers) wrapped in a paperboard blank, said blank being cut and scored to delineate (i) main panels interiorly contiguous with the respective book covers,

(ii) side panels interiorly contiguous respectively with the spine and free cover edges of the book,

(iii) end panels interiorly contiguous with the cover end-edges of the book,

said end panels each having at its end adjacent the spine of the book:

(iv) a tab cantilevered from, and exibly hinged to, the part of its end panel `which is contiguous with the book cover end-edges, said tab being aligned with the spine of the book,

said tab making edgewise engagement with the interior of said main panels, and the combined length of said tab and the end panel to which it is hinged being not in excess of the width of said bottom panel.

6. A package comprising a book (having a stiff front and back cover intervened by a spine terminating in flexible lips which are substantially less stil than said covers) wrapped in a paperboard blank, said blank being cut and scored to delineate (i) main panels interiorly contiguous with the respective book covers,

(ii) side panels interiorly contiguous respectively with the spine and free cover edges of the book,

(iii) end panels interiorly contiguous with the cover end-edges of the book,

(iv) a closure flap hingedly connected to one of said main and side panels, and adhesively connected to another of said panels,

said closure flap having a partially cut out tear tab formed therein, said tear tab being normally disposed in coplanar relationship with said closure flap, and said panel to which said closure ap is adhered having a hole therein underlying and in alignment with said tear ta'b.

7. For the packaging of a book (having a stiff front and :back cover intervened by a spine terminating in ilexible lips which are substantially less stiff than said covers) in a paperboard blank cut and scored to delineate a top panel, a bottom panel, side panels and end panels, said top and bottom panels having length and breadth greater than the corresponding dimension of the book covers, said side panels having length greater than the length of the book covers and width corresponding substantially to the thickness (outside front cover to outside back cover) of the book, said end panels having length corresponding substantially to the breadth of the bottom panel and width suiiicient to close the end space between top and bott-om panels Awhen the latter are folded about the book, the improvement which comprises said end panels terminating in a flexibly hinged tab S disposed to engage and yield under outwardly directed forces exerted thereon by a lip of -a book packaged in said sheet, and the dimension (parallel to the width dimension of said bottom panel) of said end panels including said tab being not in excess of the Width of said bottom panel.

S. A flat wrapper for an article such as a book cornprising a paperboard blank scored to define a top panel, a bottom panel, and side panels, said top panel and said bottom panel each having a unitary width corresponding to the distance between said side panels, each panel being foldably connected to at least one other panel, said bottom panel having two end portions respectively foldably connected thereto at parallel fold lines spaced from each other a distance substantially greater than the maximum dimension of said article, said end portions each being folded back at said fold line to provide a double thickness for a substantial distance away from their respective ones of said parallel fold lines, said substantial distance at each end being not more than about one half of the difference between the distance separating said parallel fold lines and the maximum dimension of said article, said end portions each having:

(a) a second fold line parallel with the adjacent one of said parallel fold lines and spaced therefrom said substantial distance;

(b) a third fold line parallel with said second fold line and spaced therefrom a distance corresponding substantially to the width of said side panels minus twice the thickness of said paperboard;

(c) a section projecting beyond said third fold line for a distance approximately the same -as said substantial distance; and the top panel having at each end thereof an end ap foldably connected with said top panel at a fourth fold line substantially aligned with the adjacent one of said parallel fold lines, said end flaps each including:

(d) an end panel adjacent said fourth fold line; and

(e) a ap panel outwardly of and foldably connected with said end panel; said end panel having a dimension perpendicular to said fourth fold line which is greater than the distance between said second and third fold lines.

9. A corner-protecting package for books and articles of like shape comprising a sheet of foldable board having bottom, side, top, side and glue panels foldably connected in that order to form an article-encompassing sleeve of length greater than the article, the unitary width of the top and bottom panels corresponding Ito the distance between the respective side panels and being greater than that of the side panels, the bottom panel having foldably connected marginal portions `at each end folded back within the sleeve, 4the infolded bottom-panel margins having foldably-connected end-wall sections folded at right angles to the bottom panel, the end-wall sections having retainer sections folded flat against the interior of the top panel, said end-wall section having cut side edges extending along the interior surfaces of the side panels, and the top panel having foldably-connected marginal portions at each end folded across the infolded bottom panel margins and secured to the exterior of the bottom panel.

10. A corner-protecting package for lbooks and articles of like shape comprising a sheet of foldablc board having top, bottom and side panels foldably connected to form an article-encompassing sleeve of length greater than the article, the unitary width of the top and bott-om panels corresponding to the distance between the respective side panels and being greater than that of the side panels, the bottom panel having foldably connected marginal portions at each end folded back within the sleeve, the infolded bottom-panel margins having foldably-connected end-wall sections folded `at right angles to the bottom panel, the end-wall sections having retainer sections folded flat against the interior of the top panel, one of the sleeve-forming panels having a glue flap extending over and spot glued to another panel, said glue flap having an unsecured tab extending over said other sleeve-forming panel, thereby to facilitate opening of the package by detachment of the glue flap, and the top panel having foldably connected marginal portions at each end folded across the infolded :bottom panel margins and secured to the exterior of the bottom panel.

11. A package comprising, an article such as a book or the like enveloped in a wrapper comprising a corrugated paperboard sheet scored to dene a top panel, a bottom panel, side panels and end panels, said top panel and said bottom panel each having a unitary width corresponding to the distance between said side panels, said bottom panel having opposite end flaps extending for the full width thereof and foldably connected thereto at parallel fold lines spaced apart a distance substantially greater than the maximum dimension of said article, each of said end flaps being divided by fold lines into first, second and third sub-panels, said last-mentioned fold lines being parallel with each other and parallel with said first-mentioned fold lines, in which:

(1) the first sub-panels being immediately adjacent the first-mentioned fold lines, of a dimension perpendicular to said fold lines which is substantially where PL is the distance between said first-mentioned fold lines and AL is said maximum dimension of said article, and folded fiat against Vsaid bottom panel to provide a double thickness,

(2) 4the second sub-panel being foldably connected to the first sub-panel, of a dimension perpendicular t said fold lines which is substantially the same as the inside minor dimension of said side panels, and folded to extend in a direction perpendicular to the iirst sub-panel, and

(3) the third sub-panel being foldably connected to the second sub-panel and of substantially the same dimensions as the first sub-panel and folded flat against the top panel to provide a double thickness in the area of the top panel which corresponds in location to the double thickness area in the bottom panel,

and said top panel having opposite end flaps, divided by fold lines into an end panel and -a glue flap, said glue flap being adhered to the exterior of the bottom panel on the opposite surface thereof from said first sub-panel.

12. A package comprising, an article such as a book or the like enveloped in a wrapper comprising a corrugated paperboard sheet scored to define a top panel, a bottom panel, side panels and edge panels, said top panel and said bottom panel each having a unitary width corresponding to the distance between said side panels, said bottom panel having portions extending in opposite directions therefrom for the full width thereof and foldably connected thereto at parallel fold lines spaced apart a distance substantially greater than a major dimension of said article, each of said portions being divided by fold lines into first, second and third sub-panels, said last-mentioned fold lines being parallel with each other and parallel with said first-mentioned fold lines in which:

(l) the rst sub-panels being immediately :adjacent the first-mentioned fold lines, of a dimension perpendicular to said fold line which is substantially PL-AL inside minor dimension of said side panels, and folded to extend in a direction perpendicular to the first sub-panel, and

(3) the third sub-panel being foldably connected to the second sub-panel and of substantially the same dimensions as the first sub-panel and folded flat against the top panel to provide a double thickness in the area of the top panel which corresponds in location to the double thickness area in the bottom panel, said portions being so folded that said second sub-panel substantially closes the space between said top and bottom panels at a position which is inset from the margins of the package in the direction parallel with said major dimension of said article.

13. The package of claim 12 wherein said edge panels are foldably connected with said top panel and are glued to said bottom panel.

14. A package comprising, an article such as a book or the like enveloped in a wrapper comprising a corrugated paperboard sheet scored to define a top panel, a bottom panel, side panels and edge panels, said top panel and said bottom panel each having a unitary width corresponding to the distance between said side panels, said bottom panel having portions extending in opposite directions therefrom for the full width thereof and foldably connected thereto at parallel fold lines spaced apart a distance substantially greater than a major dimension of said article, each of said portions being divided by fold lines into first, second and third sub-panels, said lastmentioned fold lines being parallel with each other and parallel with said first-mentioned fold lines in which:

( 1) the first sub-panels being immediately adjacent the lirst-mentioned fold lines, of a dimension perpendicular to said fold line which is substantially PL-AL where PL is the distance between said first-mentioned fold lines and AL is said major dimension of said article, and folded flat against said bottom panel to provide a double thickness,

(2) the second sub-panel being foldably connected to the first sub-panel, of a dimension perpendicular to said fold lines which is substantially the same as the inside minor dimension of said side panels, and folded to extend in a direction perpendicular to the first sub-panel, and

(3) the third sub-panel being foldably connected to the second sub-panel and of substantially the same dimensions as the rst sub-panel and folded fiat against the top panel to provide a double thickness in the area of the top panel which corresponds in l0- cation to the double thickness area in the bottom panel,

said portions being so folded that said second sub-panel substantially closes the space between said top and bottom panels at a position which is inset from the margins of the package in the direction parallel with said major dimension of said article; said edge panels each being foldafbly connected to one of said top panel and bottom panel and being glued on the exterior of another panel, the glue line on at least one of said edge panels being spaced inwardly from the margin thereof which is remote from its foldable connection.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,846,060 8/ 1958 Yount 206-58 2,888,187 5/1959 Voege et al. 3,066,792 12/1962 Spilman et al. 3,110,435 11/ 1963 Layne 229-40 3,147,856 9/ 1964 Lightner et al. 206-47 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PACKAGE COMPRISING, AN ARTICLE SUCH AS A BOOK OR THE LIKE ENVELOPED IN A WRAPPER COMPRISING A CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD SHEET SCORED TO DEFINE A TOP PANEL, A BOTTOM PANEL, SIDE PANELS AND END PANELS, SAID BOTTOM PANEL HAVING OPPOSITE END FLAPS EXTENDING FOR THE FULL WIDTH THEREOF AND FOLDABLY CONNECTED THERETO AT PARALLEL FOLD LINES SPACED APART A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM DIMENSION OF SAID ARTICLE, EACH OF SAID END FLAPS BEING DIVIDED BY FOLD LINES INTO FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD SUB-PANELS, SAID LAST-MENTIONED FOLD LINES BEING PARALLEL WITH EACH OTHER AND PARALLEL WITH SAID FIRSTMENTIONED FOLD LINES, IN WHICH: (1) THE FIRST SUB-PANELS BEING IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THE FIRST-MENTIONED FOLD LINES, OF A DIMENSION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FOLD LINE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY 